On 25 August, China's Ministry of Education released an announcement allowing and encouraging universities operating transnational education programmes to recruit students whose overseas study plans have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This announcement is similar to measures introduced last year allowing joint programmes and joint institutes to recruit students without requiring Gaokao scores.

The announcement lists a total of 72 TNE institutes and joint programmes across 15 provincial-level regions which have been given permission to recruit additional students under this policy, including 6 Sino-foreign joint universities, 11 other joint institutes, and a total of 55 joint programmes. These additional students will not be included in the programmes’ existing enrolment quotas and do not need to follow the usual Gaokao-based recruitment process, with universities instead having the freedom to recruit students based on their own “merit-based enrolment principles”. However, admitted students should hold offers from universities overseas. Among the joint programmes, 45 will recruit master’s degree students, 2 will recruit doctoral students and 8 will recruit undergraduates.

The MoE announcement also encourages other Chinese HE institutions to teach short term courses to students registered with overseas universities but currently unable or unwilling to leave China. These courses can be offered on the basis of student exchange or contracted training, and should award credits which can be recognised by these students’ home institutions.

Analysis:

This announcement provides Chinese students who are unable or unwilling to go abroad due to the pandemic with more domestic study options. While this is good news for the students themselves and also provides an opportunity for UK universities with joint institutes/programmes in China to increase their enrolment, it could have a negative effect on onshore UK recruitment as some students may choose the TNE option. Students’ choice will still depend on different factors including programme quality, cost-effectiveness, personal development plans and their expectations of how universities and government authorities in the UK will handle the pandemic in the future.

Source:

http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/gzdt_gzdt/s5987/202108/t20210825_554243.html

https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/tne-joint-institutes-and-programmes-china-given-permission-recruit-additional (previous announcement in September 2020)